UNSPSC 50302528: Van cherries

The variety of cherries known as van cherries

UNSPSC 50302528 Van cherries is a Commodity code that state and local governments procure primarily through school nutrition programs and child care food service operations. Recent solicitations show the code captures institutional fresh-fruit procurement for meal programs serving children, though the actual buying activity spans a far broader produce category than the code name suggests. The City of Edinburg, Texas, issued RFP 2026-017 for a CACFP meal program requiring beverages, paper goods, food products including fruits and vegetables, janitorial supplies, and nonfood items for 400 children daily, with proposals due August 4, 2026. Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin posted separate RFBs for petite bananas (RFB 4162, due July 29, 2026, estimated value $78,000) and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks (RFB 4163, due July 29, 2026), the latter requiring Wisconsin-sourced produce within 400 miles and offering a 5% preference for diverse-owned suppliers. The issuing bodies soliciting under this code are predominantly school districts and child care agencies—including Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida, Bulloch County and Henry County school districts in Georgia, McAllen ISD in Texas, Meriden Public Schools in Connecticut, and Austin ISD—along with municipal and county purchasing offices on behalf of school nutrition programs and Head Start operations. A few solicitations target corrections food service (Santa Clara County's February 2026 bid for dried fruits and nuts) and senior services (San Antonio's May 2026 RFP for produce distribution to senior centers).

Activity concentrates heavily in Georgia and Texas, with significant recent procurements in Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and California. Georgia shows the highest density, with solicitations from Savannah-Chatham County, Dougherty County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Glynn County, Bryan County, Bulloch County, Henry County, Early County, and Hancock County school districts, plus the GEC Buying Cooperative representing 30 districts statewide. Texas appears second, with activity from McAllen ISD, Austin ISD, the City of Edinburg, and Head Start of Greater Dallas. Most procurements are ITBs or RFPs with response windows of two to six weeks; the Hillsborough County FFVP contract (RFP 26RFP034, proposals due March 11, 2026, estimated annual budget $600,000) and the GEC Buying Cooperative fresh produce and eggs contract (RFP SN 26-004, due March 4, 2026, estimated combined annual spending across two geographic areas approximately $5.5 million) represent the largest recent opportunities. Evaluation typically weights cost at 30–50%, with product quality, delivery reliability, and vendor qualifications comprising the remainder. Buy American requirements under 7 CFR 210.21(d) mandate domestic sourcing where practicable; many school districts explicitly encourage local and minority-owned suppliers through preference scoring or geographic sourcing restrictions (Wisconsin's 400-mile requirement, Georgia's 200-mile local-produce filters, and Texas HUB status scoring are common). Most contracts run July through June on annual terms with optional one-to-five-year renewals, and insurance minimums typically range from $500,000 to $2 million in general liability coverage.